Summer Culture Events Heat Up

Council Doesn't Go In Hibernation During Offseason

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council is out to burst the common theory that the area has only sun and sand to offer in the summer.

So it's putting a dozen artsy cars and $20,000 to work to get the message across that cultural activities happen in Palm Beach County in June, July and August.

"Just because what many know as the `season' is over, cultural activities don't stop," said Rena Blades, president and CEO of the Cultural Council. "It seems to me now more than ever, we have a 12-month cultural calendar in Palm Beach County."

Generally, the bulk of local cultural events happen during late fall and winter when arts patron snowbirds make their way to warmer climates. But arts promoters noticed something else: that summer tourism has increased, according to the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

"The past couple of summers we've had record-breaking attendance when it comes to hotel occupancy," said Enid Atwater, a marketing specialist at the Visitor's Bureau, which offers discounts to summer events.

Last summer, area hotels experienced 70 percent occupancy, according to bureau statistics. The national average is 65 percent. Atwater said in June, the area welcomed 205,000 guests, compared to 204,000 guests in January.

Venues such as the Maltz Jupiter Theatre and the Boca Raton Museum of Art reacted to the increased audience with activities year round.

Earlier this month, the Cultural Council held "Drive to Support the Arts," a campaign with events in Lake Worth, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, featuring a parade of cars decorated by local and national artists. The cars were also showcased during the SunFest art and music festival. About 20 arts organizations participated in the campaign.

Cultural Council board member Rick Gonzalez, who moved to the county in 1985, said the summer arts scene used to be different.

"Years ago, after SunFest closed [in May] that was truly it," he said. "You might as well put your flip-flops on and go to the beach."

The Cultural Council is also using its summer campaign to encourage parents to expose their children to the arts. In a partnership with local arts patron and attorney Bob Montgomery, the council sent 50,000 brochures to children in third, fourth and fifth grades listing summer arts activities.

The Cultural Council and the Visitor's Bureau are also promoting those activities to tourists.

"A lot of our summer travelers are families," Atwater said. "They can't do Lion Country Safari every day. The Cultural Council just wants to be sure they're one of the choices because culture is for everybody."

Ivette M. Yee can be reached at imyee@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6538.

UPCOMING CULTURAL EVENTS

Through Sunday

Betye Saar: Extending the Frozen Moment Exhibition focuses on Saar's work with photography expressing her views of the African-American experience at the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach

June 5:Founder's Day at the Flagler Museum, Palm Beach Museum is free throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

June 10-Dec. 3

The World We Create Exhibition from the Louisville Science Center featuring three zones of activities that put engineering, technology and manufacturing into the hands of families; South Florida Science Museum, West Palm Beach

June 13-Sept. 17

Fresh From the Sea: Tairyobata and the Culture of Fishing in Japan; exhibition examines the culture and lore of this economic activity; Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach

55th Annual All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition; Florida's most prominent and emerging artists compete each year to be included in Florida's oldest statewide juried show; Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton

The Artists' Guild Biennial Exhibition; works by more than 30 Artists' Guild members, a museum auxiliary of working, professional South Florida artists; serves as a regional comparison to the Annual All Florida Juried Exhibition Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton

A complete summer arts calendar is available at www.palmbeachculture.com